Greencore's sponsorship Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press Education Awards category influenced by passion for future of area's growth
Supporting education is vital for the future of our food production industry, which is exactly why one company is right behind our Education Awards.
Greencore is a leading manufacturer of convenience food, with sites in both Spalding and Boston, which is dedicated to supporting youngsters in furthering their careers.
The company has sponsored the Secondary School of the Year at this year’s awards, highlighting the importance of offering opportunities to school leavers who can work their way up through the company.
Simon Titchner, general manager of Greencore’s Spalding site, did just this.
He said: “I’ve worked in every one of our business units and have had a stint at every single site at some point and across our business we are very season-based.
“I used to be a packer in a sandwich factory 22 years ago, then I progressed to a supervisor, a manager etc before I arrived at Greencore Spalding.
“It’s about getting the message out that with growth and a bit of education behind you, you can really progress and build a huge career in this industry. The food industry is really understated when it comes to growth for our youngsters
“Greencore employs a lot of people in the area but people’s awareness of the food industry is quite understated.
“There is a demand for labour and to fill vacancies nationwide all year round, although it peaks and troughs in different areas and different categories.
“In Spalding and Boston we are mostly salad and there is a demand at different times of year for those products, especially now as the country is unlocking more, coupled with people meeting and eating socially.”
The company, which produced 140 million salads across the sites in Spalding and Boston in 2020 alone, is looking to change the thought process when it comes to working in food production, highlighting the multitude of opportunities on offer.
The company is a strong supporter of an education programme offered by IGD, visiting schools and offering help online on a variety of different topics, be it guidance on writing CVs and interviews to online work experience weeks.
Head of HR at Greencore’s Spalding site Kevin Parker attended Spalding Grammar School, seeing first hand how education in our area can aid the growth of a fantastic future.
He said: “There are opportunities in the food industry that don’t just mean packing on the end of a line.
“There are so many different opportunities, from process development, engineering and supply chain. We want to encourage people to understand that they can have a career.
“It almost feels like food production has been the last resort but we can change the perception. We all have to start somewhere but you can get engineering qualifications, we do a fantastic Greencore qualifications scheme to support people and we offer trainee apprenticeships across our sites so it’s a good stepping stone for young people into a career.
“With Greencore being nationwide, there are opportunities for those who are really ambitious and show that level of ability, the possibilities are endless really. There are so many sites around the country that you can further your career with.
“We offer really good packages, good benefits and a really good working environment. We have an ethos of making every day taste better, which is in everything we do for everyone we interact with.”
Simon will be attending the event on July 8 with colleagues from the Spalding and Boston Greencore sites.
He added: “I’m really looking forward to it!”
